Instead of one, two projects were selected as the most child-friendly in Tuusula – a jury of children and young people voted for a gaming company and a volunteer organisation to receive the award.
The results of the first Child-Friendly Act competition held in Tuusula were decided by children and young people. The winners of the 2024 Child-Friendly Act competition were two organisations: gaming company XROC Gaming Oy and Polina Krapitzeva, who does volunteer work with young people.
At the end of 2024, Tuusula sought the most child-friendly act in Tuusula as part of its Child-Friendly Municipality work. The nomination period ran from 20 November to 8 December 2024.
– Residents of Tuusula had the opportunity to nominate a company, association, community or private individual that has implemented child-friendly activities or services in a particularly significant way. A warm thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination, says Katja Elo, Development Manager at Tuusula Municipality, who is leading the Child-Friendly Municipality initiative.
Children and young people’s voices decided the recipients of the awards
The recipients of the Child-Friendly Act award were selected by children and young people based on their suggestions.
“A jury consisting of members of the Tuusula Youth Council and designated classes from schools in Tuusula voted on the nominations on the Tuusula participation platform in early 2025,” says Community Manager Katja Repo.
Based on the vote, XROC Gaming Oy and Polina Krapitzeva
received the award for the most child-friendly act of 2024. XROC Gaming Oy offers children and young people a safe environment to practise and learn about different digital games. No personal equipment is required. Some of the activities are free of charge, and there are always caring adults on site. The company also works closely with youth services. Polina Krapitzeva, a volunteer mentor for young immigrants, supports young people and promotes the well-being of young people who have moved to Finland by organising weekly gatherings for young people, among
other things.
The awards were presented on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, at a meeting of the Tuusula Youth Council.
Many actors promote child-friendliness
Children and young people voted for several organisations that have taken children and young people into account in a significant way through child-friendly operating models or practices.
Some of the organisations are associations, clubs and communities that organise experiences and activities for children and young people in the form of events and leisure opportunities or ensure that their rights and interests are realised. Others are private individuals who show great compassion for children and young people in their actions and work. The nominees included companies whose premises are particularly child-friendly and companies that offer children and young people a safe environment in which to explore topics that interest them.
Children and young people taken into account in activities and services
On our journey towards a more child-friendly municipality, it is good to recognise existing activities and services that take children and young people into account. There are already plenty of these in Tuusula – thank you to all our child-friendly operators!
Recognising child-friendliness may still be unfamiliar to many, and everyone has different views on how it should be implemented. A good rule of thumb is to consider whether children and young people feel welcome in an activity or service, and how it takes into account, for example, the right of children and young people to equality and participation, offers opportunities to grow, learn or spend meaningful free time, or how it brings joy to everyday life and improves life in Tuusula.
– It is also important that children and young people in Tuusula have the opportunity to share their experiences and influence the development of the services they use. Let’s listen carefully to their thoughts and work together to make Tuusula an even more child-friendly municipality, Elo encourages.
Warm congratulations to the recipients of this recognition and thank you to all the nominees for your important work on behalf of children and young people! Letters have been
sent to the nominees informing them of their nomination. Further
information: Search for the most
child-friendly act in Tuusula: Katja Elo, Development
Manager for Education and Culture, 040 314 4028, katja.elo@tuusula.fi
Laura Aalto, Learning Specialist, 040 314 3485, laura.aalto@tuusula.fi Voting
by children and young people: Community
Manager Katja Repo, +358 40 314 3048, katja.repo@tuusula.fi
Follow Tuusula Municipality’s journey towards becoming a more child-friendly municipality:
www.tuusula.fi/lapsiystavallinenkuntamalli(switch to another service)
Further information on the Child-Friendly Municipality model is available on the UNICEF website:
www.lapsiystavallinenkunta.fi/(switch to another service)
The photo shows, from left to right, Sonia Lindenius, Chair of the Tuusula Youth Council, Hanna Kjelin and Jere Seppä, representatives of XROC Gaming Oy, and Anna Yltävä, Deputy Mayor of Tuusula.
The photo shows, from left to right, Anna Yltävä, Deputy Mayor of Tuusula, Polina Krapitzeva and Sonia Lindenius, Chair of the Tuusula Youth Council.
This content has been translated using AI